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NFL Picks

Free NFL Picks - Carolina Panthers vs Los Angeles Rams

Are the Carolina Panthers on the mend? We preview their upcoming date with the Los Angeles Rams as they search for just the third W on the season and serve up choice NFL picks.

Carolina Panthers (2-5 SU, 0-3 away)

Not only are the Panthers searching for only the third win of the season but also the first win on the road. It’s remarkable to think the Panthers went 15-1 SU last season en route to a runner-up finish to Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl. How things can change in a season.

All is not lost for the Panthers despite the season hitting the midway point. The NFC South is a soft division in the league and things turn on a dime. Atlanta Falcons currently hold top spot with a 5-3-0 SU mark but they’ve shown a tendency to choke in the face of pressure. It’s as if they can’t handle success or prosperity of any kind.

Of course, the Panthers can’t simply rely on others imploding. They must take fortune into their own hands and if last week’s 30-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals were any indication of what’s to come, then they might be on the right path. It was their best game this season by far.

Los Angeles Rams (3-4 SU, 1-2 home)

The Los Angeles Rams come crashing back down to earth behind a three-game losing streak and slip to third place in the notoriously tough NFC West. That said, they’re only a game adrift in the win column from current leaders Seattle Seahawks (4-2-1) and tied with Arizona Cardinals.

The Rams do have room for optimism this season but they’ll need to get a grip fast. The last three defeats saw the Rams out of sorts and all over the place, going 0-3 SU and ATS. Case Keenum is clearly not the answer but Jeff Fischer persists with his choice quarterback, leaving the top No.1 NFL draft pick on the side lines. Repeated calls to give Jared Goff a start have gone unnoticed, so it remains to be seen whether Keenum will reward Fischer for his loyalty.

A bye week might give the Rams the notional edge; eight out of ten teams to go into a bye week this season have won straight up in their first game back. That NFL betting trend includes the Panthers in week 8.

However, NFL odds makers overlook the Rams and send the Panthers into this clash as the road favourites – something they’ve done in Carolina’s seven appearances to date, including three road trips. The Panthers opened as the -2.5 road favourites but are now up to -3 with most sports betting outlets.

That they are 0-3 SU and ATS as field goal favourites or less doesn’t seem to faze marketers or bettors for that matter that already bet up the NFL line (as indicated above). Underwhelming and disappointing so far, there was always a sense the Panthers would eventually right the ship.

Perhaps, week 8 was the start of it. Granted a win over the flailing Cards isn’t exactly the best indication of a meaningful turnaround but how much threat do the flailing Rams pose, really? To be fair, even with the Panthers now up to -3 they still appear to be the better bet for week 9 NFL picks. So we’re laying the points with Carolina.